No BS Blog

I know I’m going to piss-off Edelman, Weber, MWW and the likes for this one, but somebody has to say it. Let’s talk about agencies midsections - or the “PR Midriff.”  No, I’m not talking about the beautiful torso of Shakira, rather about the central piece of a PR team that many agencies don’t want you to ask about. The PR Midriff is the part of the team with 3-6+ years experience - the heart and soul of the day-to-day work. (Note:1 BPR year is equivalent to 3 -years at Mega Agency). This is the neighborhood where the account executives or senior account executives live; and for many agencies it’s a tough ‘hood. Unlike the other parts of the team (young/eager/fresh from internship) or the more experienced “strategy” person (which in most cases means they don’t really work on accounts but troll for new business) the midriff is the group that keeps things moving forward, and everyday juggles multiple deadlines only to find their to-do list bigger by day’s end. 

So why am I addressing yet another taboo PR topic? Well - the midriff issue has been the topic of conversation twice in the past few weeks with companies coming to BPR, complaining about the lack of strong mid-level groups at their agencies. Of course these conversations got me thinking about the PR Midriff and wondering why (for those agencies) it’s such a problem. As I’ve written about before, there is a certain life-cycle in the world of PR, that aside from a few exceptions holds true across the board. At each step of the journey there are challenges, for example: early-on there are many candidates wanting to get into the agency world but few are truly qualified. On the other end of the spectrum, those who are seasoned don’t want to actually do the work, so they spend their days playing the role of “the suit” which involves lunches, meetings, telling others what to do, taking credit for work they didn’t do, and working hard to justify their time by month’s end. What a wonderful world, huh? At the intersection of I’M Really Eager and I’M Too Senior you should find the group of folks who are making it happen - but in many cases you’ll arrive to find nothing. That’s where the midsection is supposed to be.

A few weeks ago we were asked to chat with a cool Seattle start-up doing some really interesting things. The CEO drilled the team, not me, which I thought was awesome. Of course my team did a stellar job and I thought about how it could’ve gone if we subscribed to the same tired approach that the big-boys do; everyone has slides they own, and Mr. or Mrs. Big Stuff leads the conversation. It’s basically the professional equivalent of “children should be seen and not heard.” 

Agencies need to work a lot harder to build their midsection and stop the nonsense that makes qualified people leave the business before they fully realize their potential. There is a reason the mid-level group is on the PR Endangered Species list (there isn’t actually a list but that sounded too good to pass up) and it can be summarized with two letters; BS.  If you don’t believe me, just ask them. That is, if you can find them.

Howie

It’s great posting open positions - what’s not so great are the resumes we see from y’all who have no PR experience or are having what Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction, Jules Winnfield, described as a “moment of clarity”. So here we go:

BPR is looking for a candidate with at least 3 years PR experience doing B2B tech. If you’re a good fit you’ll have relationships with reporters at publications including InformationWeek, Network World, eWeek, InfoWorld, and the like. The ideal candidate will have a passion for technology, know how to set client expectations, write great quotes/releases, and hold themselves accountable at all times.

Benefits: Fast track to growth, mentoring from senior level PR pros/medical dental vision/profit sharing/totally casual environment (jeans are the dress code), bus pass, Friday Flings, and more

The gig: Be a Do-er (one who does), develop and draft proactive pitches for tech/trade press, analysts, business press, host briefings, create solid first drafts of releases/plans/pitches, play an active role in client meetings, identify and track speaking opportunities, and more

Jack is waiting to hear from you jack@barokas.com - please don’t apply unless you’ve got what it takes.

Howie

The pounding. The drilling. When will it stop? Apparently this is what progress sounds like, which would be fine if it wasn’t right outside my office window. For the past several weeks the City of Seattle has been busy tearing apart the street between 1st and 2nd Ave on Cherry Street. I’m not sure what they’re doing, and even if I asked I’d likely not understand since my mechanical ability stops at DRAINO. But they’re doing something and apparently when whatever it is, is done, things will be better.

Ever since the crew showed up I’ve found myself staring out there - not knowing what I’m looking at other than a giant hole, and often without any thoughts at all- just staring. Today was one of those days - but today I had thoughts which of course lead me here, to you. My view this afternoon is of 5 guys standing around the giant hole doing nothing other than looking deeply into the abyss. To their left was one guy with a shovel working feverishly. I’m not sure what he was doing beyond digging, but he was committed to his task despite his 5 friends who weren’t doing a thing. Watching this scene made me reflect on a scenario I hear often from companies looking to make an agency change; about how their PR firm brings 4 people to a meeting but only 1 does the shoveling. (Sound familiar Microsoft? You’re paying for all those silent bodies at the table.) I find it so odd when people are brought to meetings, only to sit there with no contribution. Well almost no contribution; they do a good job with the flight-attendant  ”bye, ba bye, bye - good to see you.”

A new report from private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson predicts that, by 2014, spending on PR will reach $4.4B, up from an estimated $3.4B this year. Of course this is welcome news, although I can’t help but wonder how much of the money will be wasted on the PR equivalent of 5 guys standing around a hole. I’m also deeply concerned that at the same time more money is going towards PR there are a fewer “real PR people” able to actually do the work. Hopefully along with the increased budgets will come an intensified focus from clients on holding their agencies accountable; demanding that everyone on their PR team be a key contributor.

Have you ever been stuck in traffic, where 3 lanes are brought down to 1, and by the time you get to the place where the work is happening there are more guys just standing around than there are people doing the work? And when you see that don’t you wonder - “what are they doing”? Sadly this nonsense happens in conference rooms across the country everyday, except the “workers” aren’t wearing orange reflective vests and likely didn’t bring their lunch in a mini-cooler. Just my thoughts for the day.

Howie

Hey kids we’re hiring again. We’re looking for talented, smart, no bullshit, PR people who actually DO stuff - not take credit for other people’s work. So if you’re in a cozy VP role at Edelman, Porter Novelli, or Weber stay there since we don’t hire Biz Dev people. But if you’re someone who knows you’re good, your clients love you but you want a change of scenery, please let Jack know - jack@barokas.com.  We’re not looking for entry level folks right now so save us the pain of not responding to you - your day will come. Ideal candidate will have at least two years under their belt. Enough to know better but not so jaded that we’ll have to reprogram you.

Thanks.

Howie

I really like Mad Men. No, I love Mad Men. Not since the Sopranos have I looked so forward to Sunday nights. Sure Entourage is a great show, and Californication is in a league of its own, but nothing touches Mad Men. This week’s season premiere was excellent, made even better by the episode’s official name: Public Relations. In fact I was playing with the idea of naming this post “I feel like Don Draper” but I’d immediately be setting myself up for Don Draper comparisons and even I know, I’m no Don Draper.

There were two story-lines in Sunday’s episode where I felt a particular kinship with The Don; one being a discussion with a prospective client who makes swimsuits (Jantzen) and the other an interview with Advertising Age. In both instances I felt a connection with the character and was cheering him on like a crazed NFL fan on a Sunday afternoon. First - the swimsuits.

Jantzen met with Draper’s new firm to discuss how the bathing suit company could compete with a rival manufacturer capturing massive mind-share with their new bikinis. Claiming to be a company with morals/values, Jantzen didn’t want to “lower” themselves to making bikinis, so they created a more conservative two-piece (read: me too product) and wanted Draper’s help marketing it. Draper knew the only way to compete was to make the Jantzen suit appear more alluring than the competitors bikini - but the client wouldn’t have such a campaign. After hearing their push-back Draper asks the men: Do you want women who buy bikinis to buy your two piece? Or do you just wanna make sure women who want to buy a two piece don’t suddenly buy a bikini?

As fun as it is to have an excuse to write about bikinis, this is not a post about bathing suits, rather it’s about having the balls to tell the client, or prospective client, what they DON’T want to hear - even if it means not getting the business. Draper had “had it” with the Jantzen dudes and just before tossing them out of his office he says, “Your competitors are going to keep killing you because you’re too scared of the skin your two-piece was designed to show off.”  Countless times we’ve heard from companies who claim they want to be different or make a talked about splash, but they don’t really have the courage to do it. I assume this comes from fear: fear of their board, investors, the CEO, fear that they may offend, fear their product could get banned, etc. (Side note: if you have a consumer product and it gets banned somewhere - especially in schools - it’s the BEST thing you could ask for - awesome PR). Anyway I applauded Draper for calling BS on the situation and recognizing this client would have been a nightmare, no matter what they paid. More people should take lessons from Don Draper; it’s more valuable than anything taught by PRSA. Next up - the interview.

Being a firm believer that PR agencies shouldn’t do press for themselves because NOBODY CARES, I was ecstatic when Draper refused to give a reporter from Ad Age any info about himself. Draper kindly told the reporter “where I’m from we were taught it’s not polite to talk about yourself”. Good for you Don Draper. If a fictional advertising man understands this concept, how is it that “in the flesh” agency heads just don’t get it? I am so tired of PR firms spewing -blah blah blah blah  - nonsense people don’t care about: we hired this smart person, we took over another floor in the building, we volunteered - etc. It’s all bullshit folks and has no impact on a client’s bottom line. 

I can’t wait to see what happens this season at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and what thought provoking nuggets Draper will come up with next. I’ll close with one of my favorite Don Draper quotes: “You’re born alone and you die alone and this world drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts, but I never forget. I’m living like there is no tomorrow…because there isn’t one.”   Enough said.

Howie

It’s been busy and optimism is certainly in the air - especially at 110 Cherry Street. We’ve heard from a lot of interesting companies lately who want to turn up the volume on their PR efforts; this is great news for everyone. While the companies/products are different, most of the challenges aren’t. Typically what we hear is: company recently closed funding and wants to make a indelible impression at launch - or - holiday 2010 is around the corner and they want to ensure their new widget is a top seller - or - the ______ space is really heating up and they want to be associated with the stories on _______. But of all the conversations I’ve had there is one that really stood-out, and it wasn’t because of the aforementioned reasons; it was because of Buffy and Skippy. In fact Buffy and Skippy seem to come-up quite frequently - they’ve really made a name for themselves. Love or hate them, and most don’t love them, Buffy and Skippy are part of the PR ecosystem. And you know what else? They are always happy, as evident in their emails with things like this  and this !. Here is how Buffy and Skippy came to my attention last week.

I received a call from a very cool company in San Francisco doing some really cool stuff, funded by some really cool people, and run by really cool executives. During the conversation the topic of “what we need and what we don’t” came up. The needs were basic - but the “don’t” was hilarious. The one thing this really cool company doesn’t want is Buffy or Skippy. And without any further explanation I knew exactly what,  or I should say who was being described. Poor Buffy and Skippy - they try so hard to please. Let’s take a look at how Buffy and Skippy have made their way into so many agencies and why these well-meaning young people are the subject of such intense hostility.

It’s no surprise that in a national survey earlier this year PR was rated the 8th most stressful job in America. The reasons are varied: client demands, an always-on expectation, pressure from board members, competitive threats, shrinking publications, hourly deadlines, etc.  What this means is, for some, the PR game is just too tough and they quit - hence the industry’s turnover issue. So in order to service clients, most agencies, especially the big ones who take care of Microsoft and HP, need to constantly hire fresh new talent who want to do well, but know very little: this is Buffy and Skippy. Don’t get me wrong, the problem is not Buffy and Skippy - the problem is when Buffy and Skippy are put in positions they shouldn’t be - this is when things get dangerous.

While I was humored by the conversation last week it also made me think seriously about this whole Buffy and Skippy issue, especially since I hear about it frequently from companies who are looking to leave their PR firm. The story is always the same: senior folks came to the new biz pitch, then Buffy and Skippy took over a few months after the agency won the business. This is likely why the question “who will work on my account?” is showing up more in RFPs. This issue, while fun on the surface, is really quite serious and really comes down to setting proper expectations, all the way around. Should Buffy and Skippy run an account without help from their more experienced teammates? No. Is there a place for them in the business - and can they play a critical role? Yes. The problems surface when agencies don’t set the right expectations to the client about who will be on the account or they try to shield Buffy and Skippy from the new biz prospect, only to bring them in when the coast is clear.

Buffy and Skippy are not completely exonerated either. Sometimes they like to pretend they know more than they do, and when duty calls they’re unable to perform due to lack of experience or the inability to think on their feet. Personally I find Buffy and Skippy the most damaging when they decide they’ve had enough of the agency world (it’s too tough) and they go in-house on the client side. Here they’re able to pose as an experienced PR pro due to the time spent on the agency side, but really they’re no different than someone who sterialized sugical tools and now claims they’re a surgeon. Ill equipped to make decisions, these rouge Buffy and Skippy’s can become a nightmare for an agency and ultimately a liability for the company.

Buffy and Skippy aren’t going anywhere, nor should they. They’ve always played an important role in agencies and after all, we all had to start somewhere. If anything Buffy and Skippy provide a looking glass into one of the largest problems in the PR world: the difficulty finding and hiring exceptional PR folks who actually do the work - not just take credit for it. So whether you are a Buffy or Skippy, or a client trying to avoid them, let’s all agree to get along, do great work and minimize the bullshit.

Yes Buffy and Skippy, you can use that word

Howie

I love mobile devices. In fact I have a problem with devices, I buy too many. Each time I purchase a new phone I promise myself “this will be the last one for the year…well maybe 6 months.” And before I know it, I’m un-boxing a shiny new device. Case in point: in April I got the iPad and loved it. Told myself I was set. At the end of April, I bought the new HTC Droid Incredible, which is an amazing device. At that point I expressed my love of the device and vowed THIS would be the last new phone I’d buy in 2010. Then came the iPhone 4. I tried - really I did - to not look, but the monkey on my back took over, and I jumped on the pre-order list. In fairness to me, I always carry two phones and I hadn’t upgraded my iPhone from the original - so… Since opening the iPhone 4 last week I said to myself “Howie you’re done - no more - nada mas.” That was all fine until on Boy Genius I spied the soon to be released Droid X - newest phone from Verizon coming in a few weeks. Maybe that will be my last device for the year? Anyway - the reason for my post has nothing to do with my addiction to tech gadgets, rather it’s about another problem - a real problem - that seems to occur far too often: people missing important stuff on the go.

It seems while the mobile phenomenon has brought us all closer together and able to respond almost instantly from anywhere, it has also given birth to a new problem as well - missing important details by not scrolling down. I’m not speaking from personal experience nor is this anything any of our clients have done, but a lot of information gets ignored simply because folks don’t take the time to go a few “swipes, pinches, or scrolls” down to read the entire message. While this may sound like not such a big deal - it can make a big difference especially when scheduling is involved or if a reporter is waiting for an important data-point in order to wrap their story.

Oprah has done a good job promoting her “No Phone Zone” where she has celebrities sign a pledge not to text or use their phone in the car. Yeah - like that’s really NOT going to happen. Anyway - the idea is good and it makes for some great PR. Maybe Oprah needs to incorporate a “I Will Read” pledge whereby people commit to an entire message, not just the part visible on the screen in front of them. And what about typos? They seem to be in vogue again - didn’t they die about the same time as the typewriter - hence the name typo? They’ve made a strong comeback - with no slowing in sight. But it’s okay because people ask for forgiveness at the end of nearly every message sent from their device. I wonder how this would work in other instances: Please excuse my driving, I’ve been drinking. Please excuse my screaming child, he’s spoiled. Please excuse our oil spill, we were drilling. Just saying…

Howie

So if the title wasn’t quite clear enough I’m happy to say once again we’re hiring. As always we’re looking for talented PR people, with experience, who have actually done B2B or B2C PR - not simply been part of the “__________” team (fill in the name of a 50 person team at large-expensive agency, representing a gaming console produced by a large Redmond software company). As I’ve mentioned in previous posts there is a huge difference between a candidate who really does the work vs. the hundreds who reference the team they were on. We’re looking for doers - not the credit-takers. If you’re the ideal candidate you’ll know already - you get it. You’re smart, can juggle, and don’t need a safety-net of dozens around you to get anything done.

Now I’d like to address the second part of this post’s title - the part about the radical approach. First, a bit of background. Last week all of us BPR folks attended the TechFlash Live event at Seattle University. It was an excellent discussion complete with fireworks. Anyway - a few people on my team whom we’ve rescued from big corporate agencies asked a question before the event that left me speechless. They wanted to know “what was the expectation for them at this event?”. I didn’t get it and had to ask for clarification. They were asking what I expected them to do regarding “working” the event, rather than simply attend the event. Apparently it’s protocol at many of the big agencies for the PR team to focus on biz dev not only as part of their regular duties, but also at events. Really? No wonder people think PR flacks are sharks. My expectation for the team last week and at any event we attend is to have fun and learn something. To me it is totally absurd to ask talented PR people, who have a stressful enough job doing great work, to also be responsible for business development. In fact the number of people at BPR focusing on biz dev is exactly ZERO. How do we do it? Well - we do kick-ass work for our clients, who tell people about BPR, then those people call us, and so on. Radical? Maybe by “normal” standards, but to me I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. So I suppose you could say we have a focused biz dev program, code named DGW (do great work).

If you’re ready to make the leap to an agency who wants you to be part of a PR team, not a door-to-door sales team, drop Jack a note - jack@barokas.com. We’re hoping to have a few people on board within the next 3 weeks. So schedule those “dentist appointments” - and come on in to see us. Tick-Tock.

Howie

I hear this occasionally, most often when sharing my views about how upside-down the PR industry is and how I’m concerned about the BS epidemic running rampant through most firms. PR people love to tell clients how “everything is changing” and that companies need to think-differently about their communication strategy. So if everything is changing, and I agree a lot is, why do PR folks want to keep a tight grip on doing things the way they always have; over-promising and underdelivering, writing shitty press releases, bait&switching, charging extra for this and that, and on and on and on. Anyway - back to this whole book business. 

I get asked several times a year if I’ve considered writing a book on PR and I always say “absolutely not”. For the most part I find it arrogant and shallow when PR people, who are still praciticing, pen books about the right-way to do PR. Besides, shouldn’t any PR person still in the game spend their time helping clients? I mean really- we’re not that interesting and most of it is the same recycled stuff just packaged differently. (Know your audience, have your key points, engage your customer, blah blah blah) However there are some exceptions, like every marketing book written by Seth Godin, Rafe Needleman’s Pro PR Tips, or works by Brain Solis. Smart guys - strong opinions - not afraid to be different, question the establishment and even offend. But your everyday agency flack who spends their day focused on business development and whoring out the agency in the interest of self promotional press or ridiculous PR awards? No thanks. But if I did write a book when I’m old, retired and cantankerous you can count on it being interesting - something that would be an equal opportunity offender taking aim at big agency PR people, clients, and even press. And I won’t do any book signings or ask former clients to say how great I was; in fact - I may not even make it available for sale! 

But now I want to tell you about a fantastic book that I think you should buy immediately and I guarantee it will make you think differently about how you approach business. This isn’t one of those run of the mill books that has you looking for what inspires you and encourages you to know where you fall on a personality test.  This is a no-bullshit business book that questions all the things we’ve been taught to believe like: growing for growths sake, always having to be the best, and the word “entrepreneur”. The book is called Rework, written by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier. I haven’t finished it yet, but after reading page 141 - Picking a Fight- I had to put the book down and tell you about it. On 141 the guys say, “If you think a competitor sucks, say so. When you do that, you’ll find that others who agree with you will rally to your side. Being the anti-_________is a great way to differentiate yourself and attract followers”.   The book also says that “learning from mistakes is overrated” and “page after page after page of plans are a waste of time”.  Rework is totally refreshing and absolutely worth your time - at least up to page 141. 

Perhaps as I make my through this awesome book I’ll pick-up some inspiration for my own literary work. That was a joke.

Howie

I had an interesting conversation today with a former member of what has been described as an “Intern Farm” at Edelman PR. Apparently, at any given time the firm has more than 10 interns who work in a designated “coop” for a 6-month period. If someone outside the coop moves up or out, then a position opens-up for an intern to possibly grab. If not, it’s bye-bye. What facinates me so much about this program is that, from what I was told, almost 100% of the time the interns live in Excel - coverage tracking. Really? If that’s the case I can’t think of a bigger waste of human talent.

So I’d like to formally extend an offer to y’all stuck in the coop, living in cells of Excel, to bust-out of the farm and come chat with us at BPR; the Free Range PR experience. We’re growing and are always looking for great talent at multiple levels. Hope to hear from you soon. Eee-yi-eee-yi-oh.

Howie